Well, it's not like anybody got killed.....

"In other news, Wiccans failed to riot in response to the numerous casual heresies, fallacies and slanders in the episode."

That's only because they didn't throw a Book of Shadows into a toilet, though, right?

Tsk, tsk! Many Wiccans, and Witches, will tell you that the two are NOT the same. At least, not necessarily. In fact, um ... I think I'd tell you that too.

What would a Wiccan riot look like, exactly?

so you i was wondering are your kids wiccans than or are they still to young to be?and what are atleast 5 ways wiches and wiccans are different

They are too young to be anything. They are aware that we are Wiccan, and we've told them some of our beliefs; but they are still at the basic questions stage, and matters of greater transcendence are opaque to them.

Wiccans and/or Witches differ on whether they are the same or different and if so how. In general, witchcraft is a system of pagan, Earth-centered magic, where energy is generated by polarities, focused by elements (in the mystical, not physical, sense), and directed by the practitioner. That system is integral to the Wiccan religion.

Some would say that anyone who practices witchcraft (or, in some cases, similar magical systems) is a Witch. Some would say that a Witch is a priest(ess) of Wicca, which is my definition.

There is even debate about whether people who are non-magical, at least in practical terms, can be Wiccans at all.

So it's not an easy separation. Maybe Steph will chime in with her views.

Yo. i just got done waching the movie (actually its still ending right now) it did inragwe me aswell the first time i wached it to. but when i heard eco goths, i decided to look it up on the yahoo thingy and this was the first link i got was this one, kind of ironic actually. but ne way i am also wiccan, but im not realy a wich, i was but i prefer to call myself a druid now. andwell the other blogger, you say no one was killed but i died a little inside. any way the main point that makes me angry about this is what is it teaching our kids (actually by manny peoples standerds i am a kid, but i go by age of the soal not the flesh casing, yea im 18) (oh and i dont have any kids, but you get my point right?) any way its filling these kids (and some teens that happen to see it) with completely fallse information i were my thors hammer to work with me every day and i dont hide it i were it with pride, and on MANNY ocations i have been called a warlock or asked if thats what i am. and well its insolting. kinda like, calling a black guy a nigger (thoue nigger is latin for black its still rude) and well i just dont like what the immage that charrmed ( wich is a kick assed wich show) is giving us common day wiccans and pagens, im sory about taking up your time and to the maker of this web site, im with you, scooby-do can suck my nine.

from what i learned you can become a wiccan if you want to... is that true? I sorta do want to become a eco-goth/wiccan, would it be appropriote to be a christian and a eco goth/wiccan? The only reason i stumbled accross this site is bc i was looking up eco goth, but thank you for doing this website so i can learn all the wrong things scooby is teaching me. (i've been watching it since i was like 2...)

Wicca is, in many ways, a debased term. I suppose that's only natural for any fringe religion with no hierarchy or orthodoxy. Let's just say that no one whom I would recognize as a Wiccan would recognize being a Christian as being compatible with being Wiccan. Here's why:

In Wicca, the Divine is a duality - or a series of dualities, of which the most important is male/female - that is imminent in the Universe. In Christianity, the Divine is a tripartite (four-part, if you think of Satan as the Evil God) entity that transcends the Universe. There is not a compatible interpretation there.

On the other hand, there are those who claim to be both Wiccan and Christian. Their philosophy is that all things that humans imagine as Divine are aspects of the Divine, so why is Christ any less Divine. While I see their point, so long as you corrupt Christ to an unrecognizable image (that is, part of the Universe without a transcendent component), I can imagine the Christians shuddering at the thought. And, for that matter, I'd like to point them to Cthulu, at which thought I shudder.

As to "eco goth", whatever floats your boat, I suppose.

However, there are Wiccans who worship Jesus Christ as the Lord, and Mary or another goddess as the Lady.

Thanks for the answers to my question, I can see now that the Christian society that i belong to will frown upon my desicion but I guess thats my choice if i want that stress.

It's a cartoon. It can have any changes made because it's not real.

i think you are taking this WAY TOO SERIOUS LADY!!!! b/c im a wiccan/if u want 2 say a witch 2 but i liked that movie! and it didnt bother me!
its just a movie! and let me tell u wat i think/wat ive heard:\

people fear what they don't understand. You have to understand that.

hey i woke up a few minutes ago n that movie was on n i started watchin it n just so happens me n my friend are into eco-goths well iam an earth freak (not a hippy,some others get that confused)anyway we wanna know more bout eco-goths n their wicca pleaz im me....n yes scooby-doo is one of the wackes cartoons ever,they take everything n spin it out of controll.hope to get an e-mail or im from one of you.

I think some of you are missing my point, which is that many religions can find plenty of examples of insults towards them - some more egregious than others - but it's only Islam that produces people who get so worked up by that that they blow themselves up in a crowed of children, or riot, or do other things of that terrible nature.

"Um, Wicca came into existence in the 1950's, as a synthesis of remnant Celtic Pagan beliefs, Western mysticism and ceremonial magic, and bits of Buddhism (among other bits and pieces from miscellaneous religions and beliefs). Actually, they do talk about Wicca as an Earth-based religion, so I'll cut them a little slack here."

THE TRUE MEANING OF WICCA(WITCHCRAFT)

"Witchcraft is a spiritual system that fosters the free thought and will of the individual, encourages learning and an understanding of the earth and nature thereby affirming the divinity in all living things"-Wicca.com

Wicca has been around for a very long time. Not just since the 1950's

I'm a wiccan also. get over it.

i just finished watching the movie and i realized that maybe eco-goth wasn't such a bad thing. after reading all of your accounts i've come to see that maybe wicca isn't horrible either. (my family's devout christians in case you were wondering) i just don't know if they'd understand what it means to me (my parents) eco-goth they could probably live with but if i told them i was practicing wicca i'd have to hit the road!

i just finished watching the movie. it's not bad. i'm not wicca, but i study it. anyways, if my parents found out i was interested, i'd be dead.

YOUR NOT BORN WICCAN

NOTE: THIS IS THE SECOND HALF OF AN "ARTICLE REPLY" CONTINUED. THE FIRST HALF IS RIGHT NEXT TO THIS ONE.

...altogather different; or simply a softening, lovely dream.

However it may be, if it is dear to a person, it will be fiercely defended, even blindly, so in a land of majority, the minority of an emperical, objective eye, but eager and wise heart, often are ignored, the possibility of truth "stoned."
"In the land of the blind, the seeing are stoned."
There's really nothing wrong with it however, on the fault of the people at least. Its simply wrong because it is so very difficult to know how to learn the purely [mental]/[spiritual]/[conceptual]/etc. We are simply what our experiences and thoughts and mental structure are. We can't help that. (Fortunately though, there *is* a way to clear the clutter and free yourself. That's something not to be covered here)

Third dimension: That which is truly real, regardless of belief, but so uncommon, they're drawn to the ancient and generic [umbrella] [terms]/[concepts]/etc.

Think about it. If you really have something as rare/or stiffled as a real [Gift] of any kind, even dumb luck, there's nothing out there to guide you the way there is for learning car repair or the violin.
You're going to gravitate to either turning it off to get on with your life, or whatever seems to be the most right/correct/closest thing/name/etc. that you can find.

So, people will believe what they can find. How many people out there sit down and say "I've got a gift. I'm going to come up with something completely new for myself to explore it and understand it." ?
Church of the Spoon, I think your path is a lonely one.

Perhaps you can be born with a Gift and therefore in the ancient days forgotten, a Witch.

But you're not a Wiccan until you understand and accept what is concretely there. Speculation makes for a poor guide when your life is at its best, worst or at its end.

A lovely commentary on the movie. Personally, I kind of liked this one, not for the PC, but simply because hey, the Hex Girls were kind of a cute concept, and Thorn was a wickedly sweet (old fashioned sense of sweet) girl/character.
Don't forget the actual performers who sang for the show, that was kind of cool.

Comments on the [nitpicking]. Singing with a full set of vampire fangs and teeth is *not* that difficult, *especially* when they're custom done as in the way the Hex Girls' sets were.

"Mortal" does *not* mean "perishable". Mortal in the Ye Olde English (which is the very sense the Witch used in the movie), mortal meant "worldly, not of divine or demonic origin, mundane. Said of human beings, clothing, etc." Ever hear the ancient phrase, "mortal trappings" ?

So yeah, you could say Wiccans are *not* necessarly mortal. Many live a very transcendental life.

As for Virtuous Thorn, she was a kindly sweet girl with a wicked kind personality. Wiccan or not, I think she was one of virtue.
Besides, I would love to think that [true] Wiccans are indeed virtuous people. Sadly, they're difficult to spot in the crowd of Pagans and New Age and Entertainment junkies.

I hope, honest and dearly in (forgive the liberty, though I in my deepest heart know the basic meanings very well) Perfect Trust and Perfect Harmony, that we have a chance to converse my lady.

As Wiccans say (again, please forgive the liberty)
So Mote, and Blessed, Be!

and in my words:
Good Times,
-Othergear

An honest and (I think) accurate nitpicking/dissection (is this the right word?).

Scooby Doo has been about as accurate as Disney, so with the exception of the very high campy quality of the franchise, I personally cut them slack.

I'm grateful to find a review *from* a Wiccan (Or if you personally prefer, Witch), that isn't, for lack of a better term, nationalistic (the way much of wounded Korea can be. I can say that as my blood rises from there).

For those who find themselves defensive about the content of this article, please, consider the following with perfect clarity, perfect openness, and willing trust, without sacrificing yourself.

I think the difficulty with people and Wicca is skewed.

Please consider the vocabulary I use lightly and loosely because there is simply just too great a lack of better words when speaking about W/witches Wicca, and on.

While there *do* exist real, honest, true and secreted family traditions of [witches, mystics, witch-like people], keep in mind the [title] of [wizard, witch, etc.] was very likely what the general people/public at the time used to refer to those families/individuals/etc.

I honestly don't think many would have called themselves such except in practical utility or in amusement among themselves.

With that said, there is a second and third dimension to cover.

Second: [Mystical] essence has danced and firelighted and dived and flown; has died and birthed and again reborn; is saturating nearly everything that we now do after unknown and untold time.

Undeniably, we as a [collective of people], a [specific kind of creature], have [mysticism essence] as [something] that's as much a part of us as the concept of identity or even the lack of identity. No, I'm not saying [mysticism] and its lack are apart of us. Just some people exist without a sense of identity, but the concept of identity is still with them.
The [animal] that is us as a whole, needs it. Without it, imagination somehow seems to lose a very important [dimension/layer/luster/quality/component/etc.]. And imagination is one of the most coveted and treasured qualities of people, and like [mysticism], also one of the most hated.

Regardless of [love/lust/spite/hate], we need it. Some use it to buffer their lives, shielding and making softer the everyday experience. Others thrust their passion and unbridled insight and clarity forth into [reality], covered with the valuable quality/[sparkle] of [mysticism].

And so without a firm, concrete and immutable guide and clear standing historical tradition, Wicca, fiction, gossip, etc. is ever reinvented for the masses each and every time.

I myself once thought fiercely I was Wiccan because a series of random, but inextricably related events on a truly rare and beautiful day around the age of 13, and even more so after I took up palm reading and discovered a [Wiccan/mystical/etc.] [symbol] clearly and immutably and largely [embossed] in the dead center of each palm, [anatomically correct] as could be. Hey, I never really looked at my hands before.
But as time passed and my experience grew, I found [Wicca] more difficult and strangely (rather than naturally) fitting on me. The people I met, the traditions and styles of invocations, etc. They were often lovely, and well meaning, even well functioning, but it just seemed less and less for me.
My point? It is difficult to pin down what is empirically and objectively Wiccan, and what is perhaps something scattered, half-baked, (article continued in next post)

Its just a cartoon. Let the children worry about stereotypes when they are older, but right now they are just watching it to to enjoy themselves. Its when people like you break down something as simply as a cartoon that we end up in a world without a sense of humor. I dont get upset at every black joke I hear. Think about taking it for what it is, a cartoon, and not a biography about the Wiccan religion.

Gah! My point, for the umpteenth time, is that adherents of most religions don't get upset over this kind of thing; remember that this was posted just after the incident where Muslims rioted in Afghanistan over reports (later shown to be mostly false and wildly exaggerated in the remainder) that Korans were mishandled by US soldiers. It is that reaction to heresy that I was trying to show by contrast.

And yes, TV and movies are full of heresies for Christianity and Judaism and all kinds of religions besides Wicca. Even of Islam, though less so, because Hollywood types seem exceedingly careful of bothering Muslims, as they are of pretty much no other religion.

I didn't actually get upset over the Scooby Doo thing; it's a dumb kids show. I wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't something I'd let my kids watch, so how much could I take it personally? Again, the point is that people shouldn't riot over stupid things.

I had an issue with Scooby Doo as well, this time for hiding a subliminal pro-GM message in an episode. I think they are trying to brainwash our kids.

You're kidding me. It's a childrens movie! So what?

Wiccans and Witches are NOT one in the same. Yes, Wiccans can be witches, but not all Wiccans are. Not all Witches are Wiccan, either.

Where did you get your stuff? You seem a bit FluffBunny to me....

I'm really, really amused to be called a fluffy bunny Wiccan. That's, well, rich.

I'm also somewhat annoyed at how people continually miss the point of this post. Perhaps they just don't read it through, or don't read the prior comments I left explaining the point, or don't realize the proximity of the post to the rioting across Afghanistan over reports of Korans being mistreated by Americans at Guantanamo. Oh, well.

I'm just amazed by how many comments this old post continues to generate.

Thorn she be the leader of the hex girls and i think they should make up their own cd and sell it buy it and love it.

I Like thor Beacuse Sh is beautiful and The leader Og The hex Girl in Scooby Doo And The witch's goes She read sarah Reaven Craft to return
And she said When the hex Girl are finished practice The Song She said They are making up A cd In in ben's house she said that she was 1/16 blood on my Mothers Side Thorns best freind is Luna and dusk And They ar a Group of band in Hex girl.

curse not a word you curse saying the "n" word on this website it is a curse insulting not a word stupid curse I not a word give a flying curse if it's latin (sic) or german (sic) not a word curse say it not words (at least not in English).

I went ahead and posted Ralph's illiterate, cursing rant (properly edited, with curses and non-words replaced with my comments in italics) responding, I assume, to robert's semi-literate June, 2005 comment, in order to make a point. (Normally, I wouldn't post something with no actual content, just cursing and insults.)

robert was not being insulting; he was making a valid point, that calling people certain things is insulting. To make that point, he picked a term that's well-known to be insulting as the example. He did not call anyone a nigger; he just used it as an example. Had he called someone a nigger, I would not have let the comment be posted (at least not without being edited as with Ralph's comment, which is the first comment I've ever edited).

In other words, Ralph, bite me.

lol i watched this movie and when i finished i was wondering what and eco goth was iso i looked it up and found this

I was just watching the movie and I also wondered what an Eco-Goth was so here I am !Can anyone tell me what exactly is an Eco-Goth and can just anyone be one, or do they have to change their beliefs? I want to know if I can become one and how. Also sorry if I missed the whole point but what is a Wicca and what are their beliefs (Ditto with Eco-Goths!!!)

WOW!! I couldn't even read all the posts for this subject. I'm stunned at then number of posts.
I'm not a Witch, Wiccan or anything like that. What exactly does one do??
Anyway, I just wanted to make the point, again, that IT'S A CARTOON. More than that, It's a Scooby Doo cartoon. The entertainment industry doesn't feel the need to be factual in prime-time TV or Movies, why would they for a cartoon.
My son is 3 and is all about Scooby Doo right now. The only thing that bothered me about this particular movie was that the real monster (pardon the term) of the movie turned out to be a supposed "real-life witch" that was was freed and determined to do evil. At that point it wasn't about pulling the mask off of some crook trying to scare people. Fortunatley, my son, like most adults would, dismisses the whole thing as entertainment and we all get on with our lives.

I sincerely don't mean to tick anyone off but if anyone gets this upset about a cartoon, I can't imagine what real herecy done by REAL PEOPLE in the REAL WORLD must really make put you over the edge.

Of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Look, the whole point is that people should not take "heresies" (real or imagined, hence the quotes) too seriously. The whole point is that we need to be tolerant of misunderstandings, misrepresentations, and the continuous failure of other people to pander to our every whim. Unlike, say, the idiots who rioted in Afghanistan over the (later shown to be false) reports that Korans were desecrated at Guantanamo, which is the context in which this post was written. Of course, I've said that several times before and yet no one ever seems to read that part, so I'm probably wasting my time posting it again.

okay first of all it's a frakin cartoon. it's scooby doo for god's sake and only little kids watch it usually, so who cares about the so called heresies in the movie. are 5 and 6 year olds really going to care?

( Jeff Medcalf at June 27, 2005 10:29 PM)
"four-part, if you think of Satan as the Evil God"

I just wanted to say that Satan is not a god. he wanted to be but all he really is, is an Angel that made war with God and lost.

question,how can christians be wiccans/whitches/and or warlocks. Its written in the bible that we should not cast spells, make potions, and conduct ourselves as whitches and such.

Deut. 18:10-12
There shall not be found among you any one that ... uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer, for all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord.

just wondering whats your opinion.

I'm an eco goth and a wiccan. So I understand everything in the movie. I just wish more people would understand the true meaning of us and less people would stop making fun of us. I mean it's not like are practice is easy we still have to make "spells" if that's what other people want to call them.

elizabeth,

I understand the Christian view of Satan as "not a god", because "not God". However, from the point of view of every polytheistic and pantheistic religion I am aware of, Satan would be seen as a minor, evil god. (The angels would also be seen largely as minor gods, and the saints in much the same way as Greek or Roman semi-divine heroes.)

As a Wiccan, I consider myself Pagan. Indeed, if one claims to be Wiccan and not Pagan, I would have to ask such a person to define their terms, because their definitions do not match mine in any form.

The key and fundamental theological belief of Wicca is that all life is divine in some form, and the easiest way to approach the Divine is as the interplay of polar opposites, generally the male God and female Goddess, who are part of the universe, and a soul lives multiple lifetimes, until its higher purpose is attained and that soul reaches its highest possible level of divinity.

The key and fundamental theological belief of Christianity is that there is one God, and He contains the universe within Him, and He sent a part of Himself as a mortal avatar, to suffer and die to offer His people eternal salvation.

It is not possible to simultaneously believe that there are many aspects of the Divine that together constitute the universe and are contained within the universe, and that there is one Divine force that transcends the universe. Thus it is not possible to be simultaneously Pagan and Christian. Thus it is not possible to be simultaneously Wiccan and Christian.

It is possible to see Jesus, for example, as an approachable aspect of the Divine, perhaps in contradistinction to Mary as goddess. I would tend to think of that as valid Paganism but as Christian heresy at best.

wow i had no idea that scooby was so incorrect or that ive benn calling peole by wrong name i srry to all u guys i had no idea that saking someont if they were a worlock or somthin like that was like an insult. but i wont ever again i dont judge people based or reglin or race or ne thing. but the main reason i was looking this up was because i was wondering if it was posible 2 becom a eco goth/wicken or if there different or wat but ill keep looking thanks :)

I do not know if that last comment was trolling, satire, or (the gods forbid) serious. I hope not to find out.

so are you saying wiccans are real?

Hannah, Wiccans are real, they're just not much like how the cartoon portrayed them, let alone being much at all like the popular perceptions and portrayals of Witches.

I can't tell if you are being serious or sarcastic, and if sarcastic, to what end. If you're being serious, there are plenty of resources available on what Wicca is all about; I personally recommend Ray Buckland's books for understanding serious Wicca, and Silver Ravenwolf's books for understanding fluffy bunny, new-agey Wicca. The best academic look that I've seen at Wicca from a Wiccan is Vivianne Crowley's work.

Wow, calling Gardnerian/Alexandrian Wicca "serious" as a contrast to the more eclectic American forms really sounds negative as I reread that. I don't have a lot of patience with the eclectic stuff, personally, but I in no way mean to deride their beliefs. They're just not the same as mine, though they are similar in many ways.

I think Sarah Ravencroft was falsly accused. So Sarah is a great well known nature healer. I still blame the wiccans for imprisoning her in her own spell book under false accusion of being a witch. There are still witches in this world but some are good. Poor Sarah I feel her pain believe it or not I'm wiccan and I do witchcraft to and I'm a healer just like Sarah Ravencroft and I keep my info in a journal and I do have a spellbook.

um it's a cartoon

To say I'm disappointed about your view of Muslims is being nice. It seems that you have fallen for the lie that Muslims have a greater tendency to overreact. This is not the case, heaven-for-bid you ever say that Jesus had a wife or that he sinned while in a room full of devout EXTREMIST Christians, you'd be lucky to make it out of the room alive. Please note the capitalized word. It is not you everyday Muslim who acts like a brainless moron, if it was so then the U.S. would be a smoldering pile of radioactive ash over those reports. However I feel the need to wander off and make a statement about the political cartoons of Muhammad. The cartoons went beyond casual heresy even for your liberal Muslim and though I do not condone the actions taken they were to be expected. I am not a Muslim and I found the political cartoons offensive. Back to my main point, the fools taking these actions are extremists who are violating their own religions teachings. I have met a Shiite imam in Istanbul, and have spoken with an extremely (nearly extremist) conservative Sunni Muslim friend of mine, and both of them confirmed that is not how Muslims are supposed to act. As to why they get the media attention and how the extremists all seem to find each other please allow me to present you with a theory: The U.S. is currently at war with countries who are primarily Islamic and in an effort to make us loose any sympathy we may have the media paints a negative picture of the religion and it’s adherents by portraying it and theme as brutal, heartless, savages by only reporting and showing us the images of the minorities actions. As to how the idiots who are brutal and heartless all seem to get together well, Islam is the worlds 2nd largest religion with only 2 denominations, Shiite and Sunni (4 if you include Sufi and Ibadi) that is far fewer than Christians meaning that there is little to keep people of like mindsets from meeting each other. In Christianity people of the same mindset will often not associate outside of their denomination because though they have the right idea their beliefs are wrong. As to why they don’t just sit there and take the abuse well they have the idea of an eye for an eye instead of turn the other cheek. I don’t approve of the extremist actions some take but I do however agree with the general philosophy. Better to be fighters than doormats, you earn more respect that way.
Hmmm… I am left with the feeling I have just written a short school paper.

im emo have been for years and i think that the whole eco-goth,wiccan,witch stuff is awsume and i kinnda wanna be a eco-goth/wiccan so is it possiblr to be a emo/eco-goth/wiccan???

I'm 11 and I want to be a wiccan.They're cool if you have any information,please e-mail me.

Do u believe that anyone can be a wicca/ witch? and if its not inhearted, and its a religion how do u do magic like move stuff round

It's been a while since I responded to comments, so I want to take on a couple at once. First, Frank from May 24. I disagree somewhat with what you said, but I am very appreciative of the way in which you said it; too many such comments would have been incoherent rants.

I do not think that all, or even most, Muslims are prone to violent overreaction. I think that some (probably in the hundreds of thousands) are prone to violent overreaction, and that many, many Arabs and South Asians have a culture of conspiracy theorism that makes the "9/11 truthers" seem mild by comparison, because in some parts of the Muslim world, that part of their culture predates Islam.

I am reminded, though, of the cartoon (one of the ones the riots were over) where the cartoonist was drawing a cartoonist drawing a perfectly respectful picture of Mohammed, but the cartoonist was covering the cartoon and looking over his shoulder. The fact that the riots happened by and large confirmed the point of this and several other cartoons. The only ones that were truly, deeply offensive were the ones that were actually done by Muslim clerics (Egyptian, IIRC) in order to foment the violence in the first place.

Courtnee, I removed your email address because if you are in fact an 11 year old young lady, it is very dangerous to post comments like that and attach a contact method: there are predators on the Internet, and they seek out such messages. This can be particularly true around Wicca, because mystery religions in general are often attractive to people who are willing to accept both secrecy and somewhat odd (by mainstream standards) behavior. As such, it is easier for predators to find victims among the naive who are looking into mystery religions than it is among the general population.

All of that said, I strongly encourage you to talk to your parents about your desire to learn more about Wicca. They can help you to find groups that are child-friendly, age appropriate and with which they and you can feel safe. If you would like, please feel free to pass along my email address, blog@caerdroia.org, to your parents. I would be happy to talk with them if they would like, answer questions and provide advice on how to find such a group.

Anonymous, yes, anyone can become Wiccan. It is not a good fit for everyone, however. In particular, the traditionalist groups tend to be very big on personal responsibility and self-discipline, and many people who seek out Wicca aren't looking for that. As far as magic goes, it is not quite what you seem to think. Magic, in the Pagan sense, is not sky magic (power over) but earth magic (power to). Pagan magic is best compared to prayer, rather than movie conceptions of magic, in its effect.

For example, when you pray, you are essentially asking for some other to provide energy on your behalf, or for whatever purpose you are praying. Let us say that you are praying for the healing of a friend; in that case you are asking that other (a god, one presumes) to expend energy on behalf of your friend's health. This may have an effect, but it is very dilute because it is very indirect. Magic is a way of channeling that energy directly, and so it has a more concentrated effect. But the effect that you create is generally to change the state of mind, yours or others. If you have a gift at healing, and aid your friend with a laying on of hands, you are directly channeling energy into your friend, providing your friend strength to aid in healing. In addition, you are positively changing the mindset of your friend, also to aid in healing. It is not a substitute for, say, a cast, but it can be very powerful in reducing pain or discomfort and sometimes effective in disease remission.

Moving tangible stuff around, though? Not so much.